Need advice:what should I do while I have the engine out?
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 322
Likes: 1
From: Manchester TN
Need advice:what should I do while I have the engine out?
I am in the middle of an engine rebuild and am trying to decide what else I should do while I am at it. I'm not looking to go as radical as a 383 just yet. I am looking for a simple power gainer without sacrificing low end torque. I have been thinking cam since I can do roller rockers, headers and other such things down the line without getting too deep into the engine. Problem is, most cam setups seem to affect low end torque. I don't want to loose that SOTP feel. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
[Modified by torque91, 8:46 AM 12/2/2002]
[Modified by torque91, 8:46 AM 12/2/2002]
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 40,156
Likes: 45
From: San Pedro CA
Re: Need advice:what should I do while I have the engine out? (torque91)
jeez... get a cam, dude.
those wonderful 19" long runners will maintain more torque than you can shake a stick at.
let the poor thing breathe...
those wonderful 19" long runners will maintain more torque than you can shake a stick at.
let the poor thing breathe...
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 3,424
Likes: 1
From: Tucson Az
St. Jude Contributor
Re: Need advice:what should I do while I have the engine out? (bogus)
You may wanna look into redoing the heads, or maybe go .030 over pistons as well as the cam? If you want it to breath more (more SOTP feel) open up the heads ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 4,564
Likes: 110
From: Austin Texas
Re: Need advice:what should I do while I have the engine out? (torque91)
Also, as a non-engine thing, go through the wiring harnesses and replace the wrap while the motor is out. Much easier to do now while you have the room.
You may want to look at the connectors and replace some of them at the same time.
As for engine mods, do the bottom-end now and everything else you can do without yanking the block. Get the bottom balanced, maybe go a .030" over-bore so you'll have a 355, have the rods re-worked with new ARP bolts, select a good FORGED piston for what you ultimately want to do (if you want NOS, then you'll need to get better pistons than your standard forged ones), get a new oil-pump and a better oil-pan and get the cam you are interested in.
After that you can swap out top-end stuff at will. Pulling the block is just too much of a pain to do it more than you have to. I had to do mine twice in a year...more than I want to see again.
I know Scorp knows that feeling as well :rolleyes:
You may want to look at the connectors and replace some of them at the same time.
As for engine mods, do the bottom-end now and everything else you can do without yanking the block. Get the bottom balanced, maybe go a .030" over-bore so you'll have a 355, have the rods re-worked with new ARP bolts, select a good FORGED piston for what you ultimately want to do (if you want NOS, then you'll need to get better pistons than your standard forged ones), get a new oil-pump and a better oil-pan and get the cam you are interested in.
After that you can swap out top-end stuff at will. Pulling the block is just too much of a pain to do it more than you have to. I had to do mine twice in a year...more than I want to see again.
I know Scorp knows that feeling as well :rolleyes:
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 1,255
Likes: 50
From: Clayton, NC north carolina
Re: Need advice:what should I do while I have the engine out? (Joe90)
Joe has some very good advice, put as much money into the short block as you can. Build a solid foundation now also decide what compression you would like (less for supercharging/turbo a little more compression for nitrous and alot more for naturaly asperated)
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 105
Likes: 0
From: Charlotte NC
Re: Need advice:what should I do while I have the engine out? (torque91)
If you know you arent going to go nuts in the future, then there's no reason to waste $ on a $4-6k shortblock when its only function in life is to not blow up.
Stock crank, $260 scat 4340 ibeams, and some SRP's would be more than 99% of people need. Power is in the topend :). FWIW, HP wins races.. so unless your vette doubles as a tow vehicle, spin it, gear it, and make it stick to the track.
Stock crank, $260 scat 4340 ibeams, and some SRP's would be more than 99% of people need. Power is in the topend :). FWIW, HP wins races.. so unless your vette doubles as a tow vehicle, spin it, gear it, and make it stick to the track.
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 13,356
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From: tucson AZ
St. Jude Donor '04 & '05
Re: Need advice:what should I do while I have the engine out? (torque91)
I would detail the complete engine compartment......repaint/degrease....etc....well worth it if the engine is out....also check the engine mounts.....enough said.....lots of work for you to do...along with rebuilding the motor....Have fun....sounds good to me....
:cheers: :smash: :cheers:
:cheers: :smash: :cheers:
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 927
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From: Saginaw TX
Re: Need advice:what should I do while I have the engine out? (oldace84)
I'm in the process (been there for about 18 months) of rebuilding and some great points were brought out. I will be going through my wire harness, now that I have degreased the engine compartment. (My yard looks like a supertanker beached). I certainly don't want to chase electrical problems after its back together. Good Luck
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 6,362
Likes: 30
From: Oak Harbor WA
Re: Need advice:what should I do while I have the engine out? (mash557)
Get the heads ported and polished. Make sure the bottom end is balanced and blueprinted by a reputable machinist.
Just understand, that sometimes you will increase torque by taking away horsepower.
Put this post in the engine mods thread and you might get some better info to base a decision on.
Just understand, that sometimes you will increase torque by taking away horsepower.
Put this post in the engine mods thread and you might get some better info to base a decision on.
Pro
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 746
Likes: 1
From: salem or
Re: Need advice:what should I do while I have the engine out? (torque91)
Don't be a putz... stroke it. This is the most bang for your buck available. Scat has a cold cast 3.75 crank in a 1 or 2pc rear main seal in the 250$ range. Your engine doesn't rev high enough to need a steel crank, so don't worry about it for the street. If you do a cam, make sure it's a roller cam. Keep the @ .050 duration at least 220 degrees and probebly less than 240 degrees. Make sure to purchase the proper springs from the supplier and try to select a dual pattern cam that gets along with a small diameter spring (you can cut the spring seats in the head during the rebuild to a 1.450) and keep the seat pressure below 145# for a street application. Pocket port the bowls and smooth the short side radius. But believe me, the cubes are a way cheaper route to performance than a cam/valvetrain/proting job. The stroker in your otherwise stock C-4 will be a torque moster so hold on tight.
I'd suggest Crane or Comp cams-- their parts seemed well matched.
(I raced this version successfully in SCCA NW region for a couple of years:
Scat 383 1pc rear seal crank, SRP flat top pistons (10.8:1 with 58cc heads)Aluminum corvette heads pocket proted, Crane 242/242 mechanical street roller cam, mechanical roller lifters, Victor Jr intake, holly 830cfm.
)
I'd suggest Crane or Comp cams-- their parts seemed well matched.
(I raced this version successfully in SCCA NW region for a couple of years:
Scat 383 1pc rear seal crank, SRP flat top pistons (10.8:1 with 58cc heads)Aluminum corvette heads pocket proted, Crane 242/242 mechanical street roller cam, mechanical roller lifters, Victor Jr intake, holly 830cfm.
)
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 105
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From: Charlotte NC
Re: Need advice:what should I do while I have the engine out? (speedjohnson)
I'd take $250-300 in cast crank and machining and put that towards valvetrain/heads every time. You arent pushing the RPM envelope, so you dont need the inches.. power is in the topend & thats all there is to it. These smallbore long stroke strokers arent that hot.. a nice 35X will outpower them. It's all about vE, piston speed, and tiiime. Make peak torque higher rpmwise, and youll end up with more power... & obviously, go faster ;). Magazines love them, and inches are great, but not so much when youre forced to acquire them the way one is with a production based block IMO. Otherwise F1, Cart, IRL, Nascar etc. wouldn't be sporting oversquare mills ;). It just depends on how fast you want to go & what else youre doing to the car at the same time... and budget.. d'oh.. that one hurts sometimes :D